Undivided
Chapter 6: How You Get to Me
Author's jibberish: This is one of my favorite chapters in this story. Only because it's the fluffiest. Anyway, time to answer your questions.
FemmeDraconis: "Harry is very clever to notice things that other people don't. He picked up on how Draco feels…" To me, it seems as if Harry is very observant in the books. I was re-reading Goblet of Fire (the infamous Ron/Hermione Yule Ball squabble) and he seemed to pick up on things a lot. At least, that is my opinion. You know, when he's not a pissed-of teen in OoP. )
Jeni Draco's Girl: "also, are you sure ginerva is right?" No, I'm not right. It's Ginevra. My bad, I can't spell.
Sazzy7: "Maybe she should stay and keep him warm over the christmas holiday if you know what I mean nudge nudge wink wink!!" She will keep him warm…uh, minus the winking and the nudging. Oh, this question is better answered in this chapter.
BakaAngel: You are just too sweet! hugs
Chapter dedicated to Ang3l666. Why? Hm… because Draco is fine. Should there be a better reason?
She rearranged her schedule: school, quick meals, homework and working on it until she was sleepy.
Colin, who luckily scheduled all the same classes as Ginny, made sure to wake her if she fell asleep during lecture. She had told him ahead of time because she didn't want to be responsible for Gryffindor to lose points.
"What exactly are you doing to make you lose sleep?" Colin asked her.
She just shook her head. "Nothing really."
"You're not telling me something, Ginny," he frowned. "Quite unfair--."
"Please Colin, don't push the subject," she grumbled over her History of Magic Book.
Colin just sighed. "Is there any way I could open you up? I mean, really open you up? Know what you're thinking, or worried over?"
"Colin, please understand," Ginny pleaded. "I can't just open up, not when I'm not ready. I told you, when I'm ready--."
"—I'll be the first person you'll tell," Colin finished. "And I'm still waiting for you."
Ginny closed her book shut. "I'll see you later." She cradled the book in her arms and headed to the dormitory. She flopped down on her bed and tossed her book on the floor. She pulled out a brown paper bag from her trunk and got to work.
The practice NEWTs were over. She took her last exam that Friday. After a full two weeks of 4 hours of sleep per night, Ginny was finished.
She had it wrapped up in a small box with brown wrapping. She held it tightly and her heart was pumping double-time. She found her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and headed straight to the teacher's office. After a deep breath, she knocked.
"Come in," said his voice. The door slowly opened and Draco looked up to see Ginny. His eyes looked at her from past his glasses. He sat on the black couch that was against the wall, near his desk. "Yes?"
Clumsily, she handed him the box. "Here. This is for you. Happy Christmas."
He looked at it for the longest time, not saying a word. To Ginny, it seemed as if he wanted to throw it to the wall. "I can't accept--."
"Don't worry," Ginny interrupted. "I didn't sign it or anything. No one will know it's from me."
Reluctantly, he neatly pulled off the wrapping and placed it on the couch. He opened the box and once again, stared. Slowly, he pulled out the contents, fully examining it. It was a forest green scarf with short frayed ends. On the right-hand side of one of the ends, it had his initials embroidered in gold thread.
"I…I made it myself," she shyly admitted. "It also has a warming charm on it. Since you don't have anyone to be with during the holidays--."
"I can't accept this," he said, running his fingers across the yarn. "I didn't get you anything."
"I didn't expect you to," Ginny said. "So don't worry about it."
He looked up at her and they locked eyes. Her insides felt heady. Her heart was beating quickly, demanding that she should tell him what had been going on for the past year. She wanted to tell him how she missed seeing him and talking with him. She felt like a stupid girl struck by Cupid's wicked arrow and how she secretly looked forward to every Defense class since she saw him at the feast. Even though he told her the nature of his assignment, inside she knew that she still wanted to be with him.
"The poet cared deeply for the person, even though he couldn't admit it in public."
"That's why."
"But…but… that was months ago…"
"Somethings don't change over time…"
She wanted to understand him. "Draco…how…"
Again, Draco looked up at her.
"How deeply do you care?"
Draco folded up the scarf, head downcast. "Enough to not want you dead."
"That could mean anything."
He continued not to look at her. "Then interpret it at will."
She sat down next to him on the couch. "Have you ever fallen in love?" she asked abruptly.
It would have been shock on his face. But due to superior emotional training, Draco kept it hidden under his steel eyes. "Well, this is a deranged new topic."
"Just answer me."
"Why bring up so many interesting questions?"
"I want to understand."
"What's to understand? I'll find a way to save you."
"But why?"
"Call it my good nature if you must label it."
"Doubtful. What are your motives? Pity? Fear? Why do you bother to care?"
"Didn't we have this conversation before?"
Ginny frowned. "You sent me a poem."
Draco smirked. "We did have this talk before. Such a strange thing, that deja-vu…"
"Stop playing around, Draco. If you care for me deeply, I'd like to know how much!" she boiled.
"Why in the seven hells should it matter?!"
"Because I might find some comfort in it!" she exclaimed, even surprising herself. Her hands balled into fists in her lap and her knuckles became white.
He was slightly shocked by her sudden outburst. "What comfort?"
"Any!" she burst. "If you were suffering as much as I was--."
"Suffering?" Would he really admit to any of it?
"Yes, you block! For months, I worried over you. And I hate it! I hate how you get to me," she bit her lip and stood.
She was up and ready to leave but Draco took hold of her arm. "And how do I get to you?" he asked in a low voice.
She looked down to their feet. "I liked spending time with you…" she muttered but it was enough for him to hear. "And I missed being able to see you. It was a part of me…" she shook her head. "Well, it doesn't matter…"
"And why not?" he asked, still gripping her arm. She bit her lip white and he sighed. "Sometimes, I regret ever opening up to you in Snape's potion closet."
"But if you didn't--."
"Because I did talk to you, your defenses of me were torn down. You would never have made a bargain or threatened me if you feared me. That was my mistake."
"Under normal circumstances, you and I would have never talked."
"Maybe it would have been better that way," he continued in a low voice. "We wouldn't be going through all this."
Ginny smiled. "Draco, please," she scoffed. "What are you going through when it comes to me?"
"The poem, Red," he reminded. "I could have sworn I told you this three times already. You want to know what's going on, read it. It conveys everything."
"Truly?"
"What the hell do you want from me?!" Draco took hold of both her arms. "You want me to proclaim everything in chorus? For years I cared of only my personal happiness and my well-being. And then, I do the unthinkable: I consider your safety. Until last year, I wouldn't give you a glance. Now, I do whatever I can to make sure you are well." He pulled his face closer to her. "Look now how you get to me…"
Ginny fiercely pushed him away; he staggered back and she fell onto his couch. After a few angry breaths, she sat up onto the couch's edge and buried her face in her hands. He knelt in front of her on the floor. "This is so hard. I don't know what to do," she murmured.
"Neither do I," Draco admitted, absentmindedly brushing her bangs away from her forehead. "Isn't that grand?" he asked in a sarcastic manner.
Ginny looked up at him just as his fingers played with the ends of a tendril of hair. "Draco…"
"This will be the last time we discuss this," he told her. "It needs to be…"
Ginny's hand gently touched his forearm, over the area the mark burned. "Did it hurt?"
Draco smirked. "So much that I couldn't scream."
She nodded. "So what will happen to me? What will happen to you?"
He shrugged. "Nothing. I'll make sure of it."
"You'll protect me?"
He smirked again. "I'm not your personal bodyguard…but yes, I will."
Then, Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck in a loose hug. He swallowed, and then took a deep breath as her hair tickled his nose; a scent of honey lingered around her. Quickly, she let him go. "Sorry," she apologized.
Draco froze, eyes to the ground. He nodded, "It's alright." His arms and chest had a strange, longing ache.
She awkwardly stood; he did at the same time. "Well, I'd better go. You know, packing."
"Yeah," he remained stationary but looked away from her. As she opened the door, he said, "Happy Christmas, Red."
She smiled at him. "Happy Christmas, Draco," and closed the door behind her.
A brush of his scent lingered on her robes and her scent was still with him as well.
Christmas was very special. Everyone was home, including Harry and Hermione. They spent Christmas Eve at the Burrows, then Christmas day with the Grangers. Bill brought his wife, Fleur, and Percy brought his fiancée, Penelope. Holidays at the Burrows was warm and inviting, something Ginny really needed.
A threat was on her life once she came back to school. Draco Malfoy was the one responsible. He was a Death-eater, going undercover to Hogwarts to kill Ginny. It wasn't an assignment he was thrilled to receive. The emotional complications between them led to Draco trying to save her out of this madness. But could he escape the Dark Lord?
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Molly asked her daughter as they stood on Platform 9 ¾. It was the day after New Years and she was on her way back to school.
"Mum, I've done this 6 times already," Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's fairly simple to get on the train."
"Sorry, Dear," Molly smiled. "I just can't help it. Soon, my youngest will be an adult. You can't help a mother looking fondly at her youngest child."
"He thought the ultimate revenge will be to kill their last borns…No parent should bury their child."
Ginny swallowed the lump in her throat. "You're right," she smiled. "But honestly, I'll be fine. Colin said he'll meet me here."
Molly sighed. "Well, I suppose it's alright. What time did he say he'll meet you?"
"10:40. He should be here any moment."
"Yes, and the train leaves soon," Molly noted out loud. "I best get going. I have to clean the house, after what Fred and George did to it. Ripped it apart with their fireworks. Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Positive," Ginny smiled.
Molly hugged her daughter goodbye and left. Ginny stood by her trolley, looking at the platform entrance for Colin's figure to walk through.
Suddenly, all she saw was darkness.
...to be continued